#devstan

“We’ll pull in early today.” Devin popped up from the waters. “The village has a feast planned for the solstice.” 

Tristan pulled his gaze away from the nearing boat. “Y-yeah, that sounds good.” he nodded. 

“What’s wrong?” Devin frowned. 

“I think that’s the ship I was on.” Tristan sighed. “They’re following the herring.” 

“I’ll warn the others.” Devin said. “We’ll stay hidden.” He reached up for Tristan’s hand. “Don’t worry.” 

Tristan smiled a little. “Just be careful.” he squeezed Devin’s hand. 

It felt like an eternity for the ship to pull up closer and drop a dinghy into the water. 

“Tristan?” a harsh, grating voice called. Three men sat in the dinghy, holding vicious harpoons. “What a surprise to see you!” 

“Isn’t it, Fergus?” Tristan eyed the harpoons suspiciously. The crew didn’t usually carry those, it wasn’t a whaling ship. “Considering you dumped me for dead.”

“Ah, come on, we were on our way back to you.” Fergus shrugged. “Besides, you’re not dead so I don’t know why you’re grousing.” 

“Right.” Tristan rolled his eyes. “What do you want?” 

“Just a chat. What took you away?” Fergus asked, putting one foot up on the edge of the dinghy. Their boats knocked together a little and Fergus wobbled. 

“I swam off.” 

“Sure.” Fergus nodded. “And I hatched from a hen.” 

“I’d believe that.” Tristan replied. “You smell like chicken shit.”

One of the other sailors laughed but stopped short with a harsh glare from Fergus. 

“You sure it wasn’t what we were hunting?” Fergus hummed. 

“You're too old to believe in such stories.” Tristan said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. There’s plenty of fish for us both.” 

“Where are you living now, Tristan?” 

“Wouldn’t you like to-” 

“Captain! I saw it!” a sailor jumped up and aimed his harpoon into the water. 

“That’s a seal, you dipshit!” his companion replied but he jumped up too. The dinghy rocked enough that Fergus lost his balance and fell into the water. 

Tristan threw his head back in laughter. “You’ve always been graceful, Fergus!” 

Under the surface, Devin came face to face with Fergus. Devin shot away, deeper into the water. 

“It’s here!” Fergus cried as he scrambled back into the dinghy. “It’s here!” 

Tristan’s laughter died. “You’re mad, you’re just seeing things!” He couldn’t hide the shake in his voice.

“You ass, you knew it was here!” Fergus turned his beet red face to Tristan. “Where is it!? Where are you hiding it!” 

“The sea, you dumb-” 

“There!” a sailor threw the harpoon into the water. Thankfully, the man wasn’t a good shot and missed the selkie by a wide margin. These sailors weren’t used to harpoons, they’d spent most of their careers with nets and rods. 

“Stop!” Tristan cried. “Don’t hurt them!” 

But the sailors were too distracted with scanning the grey water. 

“Where did it go!?” Fergus screamed. 

“I don’t see it! I-” The response was cut off as their dinghy suddenly bucked and rocked. Underneath, the selkies grouped together to push the dinghy up.

“It’s under us!” Fergus roared. “Find it! Tom, get it!” 

Tom threw his harpoon as the dinghy bounced and it found a mark. Not the mark it was really aiming for, but it lodged firmly in one side of Devin’s fluke. 

“Devin!” Tristan jumped to his feet. “Fergus, stop this!” 

“Not until I get my- Stop that!” Fergus yelped at a particularly hard shove from the selkies. “Stop it!” 

With gritted teeth, Devin yanked the harpoon from his tail. It wasn’t life-threatening but this needed to end soon. He eyed the figure at the edge of the dinghy but it was close enough for Fergus to catch a glimpse of him, too. 

Fergus pulled his arm back to throw his harpoon and Tristan leapt across the space between their boats. 

“Fergus, don’t!” 

Fergus threw and the harpoon speared through a ribcage. 

“Tristan?!” Fergus stared at the surprised face in front of him. The barbed head of the harpoon appeared through Tristan’s back and dark blood drenched his shirt. Tristan fell back into the water, his amber eyes staring at the sky. 

Devin shot from the water and quickly speared Fergus through with the harpoon used on himself. 

“Ah, wonderful!” A second man dressed in a red cloak jumped up and hurried to a kettle hanging over the fire. “You gave us all quite a scare!” he said, pouring hot water into an earthenware mug. 

Tristan stared dumbly at the stranger, then turned back to the tall man. 

“Devin?” 

“Ah, good, you remember.” Devin knelt beside the bed. “Welcome back. We weren’t sure if you were going to make it.” 

“No, you weren’t sure.” the Man in Red teasingly bopped Devin on the head. “I was certain the fur would cure him. Help him sit up all the way and Grey, get him some whisky. His fingers look close to just dropping off.” 

Grey laughed as he held out a little glass. “Down in one go, cast-away. ” 

Tristan’s cold-stiff fingers couldn’t grip the tiny cup, despite his best efforts but Grey dutifully held the cup to Tristan’s lips. The sailor managed to throw back the shot and coughed at the burn. 

“Oh, that packs a punch.” he grumbled. 

“Here. This one should be easier to hold.” The Man in Red helped Tristan take the warm mug of a sweet smelling tea. “The warmth will do you good.”

“You want warmth,” Devin said. “He needs the sauna again.” 

“You just want to hold him again.” Grey said with a wolfish grin. 

“Shut it, Dog Fish.” Devin swiped out at Grey’s leg with a huge fist but Grey just bounced away. 

Tristan smiled at the playfulness. Whoever these people were, they seemed fun. “Who are you?” He asked. “I thought... I thought Devin had a tail.” 

“I do.” Devin nodded. 

Tristan looked over the edge of the bed at Devin’s thick folded legs. Very thick. One thigh looked the same diameter as Tristan’s torso. “No, you don’t.”

“Not at the moment.” Devin laughed. “I have legs sometimes, and a tail the rest of it.”

“Oh.” Tristan blinked and stared at Devin with a baffled expression. “What?” 

“He’s a weird one, aye.” Grey agreed. “Who knows what he is.” 

Devin rolled his eyes and sighed. “Thanks. You’re such a kind, gentle soul.” 

Grey raised his glass in a toast. “That’s me!” 

“I’m like a selkie but instead of becoming a seal, I can become something like a mermaid.” Devin explained. “Grey, though, is a selkie.” 

“And can I have my skin back now?” Grey asked. “Feels odd without it.” 

“You can, darling.” the Man in Red unwound the silky fur from Tristan. 

“I... That’s a selkie skin?” Tristan gasped. “Why was I wearing it!? Are you bound to me know?”

“God, no.” Grey chuckled. “I let you wear it. If a selkie lets a human wear their skin, it’ll chase away the sea’s chill.”

The Man in Red smiled. “I’m Rory, by the way.” 

Tristan blinked and looked between the others. “Nice to meet you.” he said. “Thank you, all of you. I... would’ve died without you.” 

“Thank Devin.” Grey shrugged, tying the skin around his waist. “And Rory. I didn’t do much.” 

The sailor smiled at Rory. “Are you a selkie too?”

“No. I was a bit like you.” Rory shook his head. “Unwanted and cast into the sea as a babe. A selkie found me, brought me here.” 

“And where is here?” 

“Most people call this place Seal Island.” Devin said. “To them, we’re just a fishing village with odd inhabitants.” 

“A few get to know the truth.” Grey added. “We like to keep it that way but we’ll always try to rescue drowners.” 

Tristan looked into the warm mug and fell quiet for a moment. 

“Did I pass out? I don’t remember getting here.”

“You did.” Devin nodded. He propped his hand on his fist and gazed at Tristan with a fond smile. “Well, when we got to the cove you just started babbling nonsense, then you passed out.” 

Tristan winced and a blush as red as his hair spread across his cheeks. “Oh. Did I at least make you laugh?” 

“Apparently, it was about how big and strong he is.” Grey piped up. 

“That’s not nonsense, then. You are very big and strong.” Tristan said quietly. Before Grey could say anything, Rory smacked his arm with a harsh glare. 

“I’ll come back with more herbs for you later.” Rory said. “We have to go.” 

As the pair slipped from the small cottage, Grey couldn’t throwing a wink and a smirk at Devin. 

“They seem nice.” Tristan smiled. 

“Rory’s sweet and Grey’s a prick.” Devin laughed heartily. It was a pleasant sound that warmed Tristan’s chest as much as the tea did. “And my best friend. He’d kill and die for me. I’d do the same for him.” 

Tristan chuckled. “That’s lucky to have someone like that.” he said. “I don’t know how to repay you, Devin.” 

Tristan couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, it’s good the mothers know to expect it! Could you imagine if you had no idea your child would be a selkie?” 

Rory laughed. “The horror and shock would be enough to kill.” He nudged Blue closer to the waves but the pup stayed firmly on the sand. “Grey’ll have to take him out. Scared without your Papa, baby Blue?” 

Tristan gazed out over the cove. “Is that them?” he asked as a group of seals leapt from the waves. 

“Good timing.” Rory nodded. “I’m sure you know how good the herring catches are. We thrive on it.” 

“I do.” Tristan nodded. “It’s-” 

A seal suddenly exploded from the water and hit the surface again with a huge splash. 

“What was that!?” 

“That was Grey.” Rory chuckled. “Devin threw him. They do that.” 

Devin breached the waves and fell back on his side. 

“Just playing?” Tristan smiled. 

“Yeah. It’s fun.” Rory grinned. “Ask him to throw you, he’ll gladly do it.” 

The selkies returned to the sand, hauling a huge, tightly woven net filled to the brim with silver herring. 

“We’ll feast tonight, Rory!” one called as the group pulled the catch onto the sand. 

Grey rode a wave onto the shore, barking and baying at his family. Blue yipped, wobbling over to his father. 

“Take him out into the water, love.” Rory patted Grey’s head. “He won’t go swimming.” 

Grey carefully picked up Blue with his jaws and wiggled his way back into the water. 

“Cute.” Tristan cooed. 

 Devin finally washed up onto the beach, holding a small bag. “Hey.” he flopped over on the sand beside Tristan and stretched. His orca tail remained in the water. “How are you?” 

“Good. Yourself?” Tristan asked. He was unable to keep his eyes from wandering over Devin’s orca half. Devin was easily ten feet long. “Did you... get bigger?” 

“Yes.” Devin chuckled. “I’m longer in this shape. I’m not entirely sure why, though.” He sat up a bit and dumped the bag out onto his chest. 

“Oysters?” Tristan picked up one of the shellfish. 

“Indeed. They’re my favorite.” Devin nodded. He picked up knife that had fallen from the bag and quickly shucked an oyster open. “Maybe I’ll find you a pearl.” 

Tristan made a face as the other drank the oyster down. 

“Alright, no pearl for you.” Devin laughed. “Or do you not like oysters?” 

“Not really.” Tristan chuckled. “I don’t like clams much either.” 

“You’re missing out.” Devin handed him the now empty shells. 

“Or more for you.” Tristan caught Devin’s arm to look at a bright white bracelet around Devin’s wrist. “That’s beautiful.” The bracelet was about the same width as one of Tristan’s fingers and carved with intricate swirls. 

Devin stared at Tristan’s hand holding his own. “I... thanks.” he mumbled. “It was my mother’s. Father said they left that for me.” 

“Were they like you?” Tristan asked, finally letting go of Devin’s hand. 

“No idea. They left.” Devin sighed. He returned to shucking his oysters. “I think it has something to do with my ability to change shape, though. It’s just an idea, I really have no idea as to why I can do this.” 

“I met your brother.” Tristan said. “He said he’s human.” 

“Oh, that’s good!” Devin smiled. “Was Jack up and about?” 

Tristan nodded. “He was. They’re very kind.” 

“Aren’t they?” Devin nodded. “They- Ha! Found one!” 

He held out the oyster for Tristan and hidden among the meat was a bright pearl. 

“It’s beautiful.” Tristan pulled out the pearl, then returned the oyster to Devin. “It’s a bit like me.” 

Devin blinked. “How so?” 

“I, too, am a pretty thing you fished out of the sea.”

A bright flush spread across Devin’s cheeks and ears. “Y-yes, that’s true.” he glanced over Tristan’s shoulder at Rory who gave him a thumbs-up. “We’re... having a feast tonight. Would you like to accompany me?”

“It’s a beautiful day out.” Tristan sighed. The summer sun beat down across the island. Dark grass waved in a breeze that carried the scent of sea salt. Devin’s cottage sat on the top of a hill, over looking collection of buildings with sod roofs. Just beyond the buildings, the grey, glassy cove lapped at a sandy beach. Out in the distance, rock towers jutted from the sea. 

“It is.” Devin took Tristan’s arm and started down a worn path towards the rest of the village. Hardy, fuzzy sheep bayed at the pair as they passed.  

“I feel steady on my feet.” Tristan said, glancing at Devin’s hand. Even as he spoke, he didn’t want Devin to let go. “You don’t have to keep me upright.” 

Devin cocked a brow. “Really? Because you almost fell over when you stood up.” 

Tristan pouted. “I’ve been in bed for two days.”

“You’re as wobbly as a wee baby lamb.” Devin teased. Tristan couldn’t be upset at the jab with the way Devin’s dark eyes crinkled up with his smile. 

“You said the island exists on its own.” Tristan looked out across the windswept grass. Cows and sheep grazed on the vegetation. “Does a clan lay claim to it?” 

“Technically, it falls under my father’s clan Sinclair.” Devin said. “But the clan leaves us alone. If some war broke out, I don’t think we’d answer. We need to stay by the sea.” 

Tristan nodded. “I can’t imagine a man who turns into a whale creature is terribly useful in a land fight.” he said as they reached a stone hut. 

“Even at my height.” Devin laughed, knocking at the door. “Rory! You home?” 

“Stop yelling. I’m just hanging laundry.” Rory came from around the back with a basket on his hip. A chubby baby peeked out from a sling over Rory’s back. “Ah, you’re up and about, Tristan!” 

“I am. Who’s that?” Tristan waved at the infant who responded with a pleased babble. 

“This is Blue.” Rory grinned. “What can I do for you two? Need more herbs?” 

“A tour, actually.” Devin said. “I’m headed to the water. Can you keep Tristan company?” 

“I’d be delighted!” Rory nodded, dropping his basket by the front door. 

“I take it Blue’s a selkie?” Tristan asked. They walked through the village down to the water where Grey sat among seals and other people. 

“He is.” Rory nodded. “His mother died shortly after he was born. Grey’s his father.” 

“Oh... I’m sorry.” Tristan said softly. 

“Blue’s big and strong like his papa.” Devin gently patted the baby’s head. 

“Let’s go, Devin!” Grey pulled his fur skin over his head and, in an instant, a huge seal lay on the beach. 

Tristan stared open mouth while the seals wobbled into the water. “Good to know you all weren’t lying to me.” 

“See you.” Devin stripped off his clothes, then ran into the waves. Once the water reached his waist, he vanished under the surface. A moment went by until a huge black tail lifted out of the water. 

“How does he turned into his sea creature?” Tristan asked. 

“You have to ask him.” Rory chuckled. “It’s not my place to tell you that.” 

He graciously moved Devin’s discarded clothes up to where the grass met the sand. “Come on, I’ll show you the village.” 

“It’s much bigger than I expected.” Tristan said. Nearby, a blacksmith hammered at an anvil. People milled about the narrow streets and most had sealskins thrown over their shoulders or tied around their waists. 

“We’re a thriving village.” Rory smiled proudly. 

“Do you get any traders?” Tristan asked. “How do you get your supplies?” 

“Boats generally don’t come in, we go out.” Rory explained. “But the soil here is surprisingly good. We can grow barley, which is the most important thing.”

“Let me guess.” Tristan chuckled. “Whisky?” 

“You know it!” Rory nodded. “Alistair makes whisky, but his best is the mead.” 

He gestured at a long house that seemed almost out of place. The peak of the roof was decorated with wooden beams carved to look like whales. Ram skulls, shark jaws, “That’s where Devin grew up.” Rory said. “The village hall is the oldest building here, but I’m sure Devin told you that already.”  

“He did.” Tristan replied. “Asking him about the island opened up quite the floodgate.” 

“Did he mention the Watcher?” Rory asked, pausing with his hand on the door to the long house.  

“No? Don’t think so.” 

“We’ll go see it after this.” Rory pushed the door open and they were greeted by a wide hall filled with tables and benches. A fire, tended by a thin and tall man, crackled in the center of the room.  

“Rory!” the man smiled. “I assume that’s the drowner.” 

“T’is, Jack.” Rory nodded. “He’s here for a dram.” 

“You’ve come to the best- and only place- for that.” Jack smiled. “Alistair! Devin’s drowner is here!” 

A man just a little shorter than Devin, but nearly identical in facial features, peered out from around a corner. “Ah! About time!” 

“Alistair is Devin’s brother.” Rory explained. 

“Sorry we haven’t come by to see you yet.” Alistair said. He slipped an arm around Jack’s waist as they stood by the fire. “Wind blew the lids off some of the hives.” 

“Be a dear and fetch us some mead, love.” Jack kissed Alistair’s cheek. “We need to show our guest some hospitality!” 

“As you wish, my love.” Alistair nodded. “Take a seat.”

Bellies full of sweet mead, Rory lead Tristan to the end of the village opposite Devin’s cottage. They followed the path up a grassy hill where some cows munched on the grass. 

“Something wrong?” Rory paused about halfway up the hill. “You got pretty quiet towards the end with Alistair and Jack. Tired?” 

“Just... thinking.” Tristan said. “They’re together? They’re lovers?” 

“As am I and Grey.” Rory nodded. 

“You don’t have to hide here.” Tristan looked back over the village and the cove. 

“No, we don’t.” Rory smiled. “We don’t hide anything here. Who we love, what we are.” He held out a hand. “We’re almost there.” 

“There” was the top of a hill that overlooked the village and gave only a partial the northern part of the island. 

“The Watcher.” Rory gestured wide to the whale skeleton that sat on stone pillars. 

“That thing is huge!” Tristan gasped. “How did you get up here!?” 

“It’s been up here since before I was a baby.” Rory said, plopping to the ground under the whale. “It’s said the beast washed ashore on the next beach over from ours. It breathed its last on the rocks and we aren’t about to let good meat go to waste. So they chopped it up and hauled it back here. The hill’s always been a special place for the village, so they built the beast a shrine for good fortune.” 

“Amazing.” Tristan laid back under the skeleton and stared up at it. He could almost hear the whale’s mournful song on the wind. 

“Devin thinks you’re sweet, by the way.” Rory let Blue out of the sling to sit on the grass. 

“Really?” Tristan sat up quickly. “He said that.” 

Rory nodded. “He’s a good catch. Dense sometimes.”

Tristan smiled shyly. “Not going to lie, I enjoyed the peek I got when he got into the water.”

“If you want some of what Devin has to offer,” Rory said. “He’s not the kind of person subtlety works on. Just kiss him.”  

The sailor slipped a little further into the water. His arms were so tired. The grey, freezing water soaked through his boots and trousers, a strange juxtaposition with the sun that, for once, beamed brightly down on him. 

“Bastards.” he grumbled, kicking as something brushed against his feet again. “What horse shit this is... there’s no fucking mermaid, you pieces of shit!” 

There was no way they could hear him. His ship was anchored about two hundred yards away. They’d rowed him out, hands bound, to the island and shoved him onto the wreck. 

“God, I’m going to die here.” the sailor whispered. “Oh, God, why here?” 

He had to admit, he wasn’t really sure if he believed in God but maybe some deity believed in him still. 

“Well, at least I can see Mother again.” he sighed. “Oi! Fuck off!” He kicked at an intruding fish again. “I’m having a moment-” His words turned to a mangled scream as strong, huge fingers wrapped around his ankle. The sailor looked down at the water and an other face stared back at him. 

“Stop screaming.” the person said. This person was huge though. The sailor wasn’t small but this stranger was easily twice his size. “Please, stop, I’m not here to hurt you.” 

The sailor scrambled back up the deck as well as his exhausted body could go. Which, sadly, wasn’t very far. 

“What... What?” the sailor whimpered. The being was clearly not human. Its back was black, but its chest and arms were pale white. Short dark hair clung to its head. It laid out on the deck, the wood creaking loudly in protest, and the sailor caught sight of a long, black and white tail. 

“Calm down.” the creature sighed. 

“You’re... real.” The sailor whimpered. “Or have I died?” 

“You’re not dead.” the creature shook his head. At least, he looked like a ‘he’ at first glance. “What are you doing here?” 

“They dumped me here trying to catch you.” the sailor pointed at the ship. 

The creature sat up a bit, eyeing the vessel. “To catch me?” he huffed and slapped the water with his tail. 

“You’d better get out of here.” the sailor said. “They’re lowering a boat.” 

The creature looked back at the sailor, then at the ship. “Take a deep breath.” 

“Take a what- Hey!” 

The creature pulled him under the surface and yanked the sailor close to his body. He dove deep under the remains of the ship wreck, then shot away from it all together. The sailor’s ears popped and his chest burned. Surely that was how he died, drowned by a mer-person in the freezing waters of the North Sea.

But the creature pushed him suddenly up and out of the water and the sailor sucked in a breath. 

“Breathe. It’s alright.” the creature said, rolling onto his back to support the sailor. “We aren’t far enough away from them yet. We need to go to the other side of the island, past the breakers on the cove. They won’t be able to reach us there.” 

The sailor stared at the creature, shaking with cold. “Why did you take me with you?” 

“Wouldn’t they have just left you there again?” the creature asked. It smiled, showing off sharp teeth. “They won’t hurt us.” 

The sailor clung to the creature’s broad shoulders as best as his trembling arms could. The creature had a point. If his crew mates were willing to leave him once, they’d do it again. 

“Alright.” he whispered. “But don’t dive so deep this time. I thought my eyes would pop out.” 

“We won’t have to.” the creature nodded. “Do you have a name?” 

“Tristan.” the sailor mumbled. His vision stared to darken at the edges. “You?” 

“Tristan?” Devin pulled the cold body onto his chest. “Tristan, please, you have to wake up!” 

“Devin.” 

“Darling, please, open your eyes!” Devin sobbed. “Please!” 

“Devin, listen to me.” 

He turned his gaze to the speaker and gasped. A pale face very much like his own smiled at him; one he had not seen since he was a child.

“Mother-” 

“We don’t have time, Devin. Bring him and follow me.” his mother dove under the surface, their dark fluke flipping gracefully from the water. 

Devin, still clutching Tristan to his chest, followed down into the water with Grey in pursuit. 

Jamie gently took Tristan’s body from Devin’s arms and began a low, mournful song. Devin couldn’t put words to the meaning, but it was one he felt reverberate through his soul. Jamie carefully pulled the harpoon from Tristan’s chest and let it sink to the rocks below.

A second, then third, then dozens of voices joined Jamie’s song. The humpback swam nearby, followed by a pod of dolphins. The selkies dove and darted around, watching intently.

Jamie ran their hands down Tristan’s legs and, as their fingers reached Tristan’s feet, the limbs were replaced with a blue-grey tail. Tristan opened his eyes and reached out for Devin. He floated in the dim water, staring up at the rippling surface. He felt no fear, though, no discomfort.

Devin let out a shrill cry as he grabbed Tristan for a tight hug. He nuzzled and kissed Tristan’s face, his neck, everything he could reach, trilling and clicking with joy.

He swam over to his mother, gently bumping against Jamie’s side. Jamie smiled a little and took their son into their arms. It was a brief hug, one that couldn’t entirely make up for the years Jamie spent away. With a sad, soft call, Jamie pulled away and vanished into the dark water once again.

Tristan took Devin’s hand again and, together, they returned to the surface.

“Devin?” Tristan gasped. “What… who… what?” He laughed and shook his head. “God, what happened?”

“The sea claimed you.” Devin rested his forehead on Tristan’s.

“Tristan!” Grey threw his arms around the pair. “You’re alright!”

“I suppose I am.” Tristan chuckled. “Who was that, Devin? That other person?”

“My mother.” Devin sighed. Grey patted Devin’s shoulder. “I didn’t think I’d see them again, let alone that they’d save you.”

Tristan looked out across the waves. In the distance, the humpback breached, and Fergus’s ship sailed off.

“I’m like you now?”

Devin nodded and touched Tristan’s cheek with a smile. “Yeah.”

Tristan pressed his lips to Devin’s. “Let’s go home.”